1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to remote control systems using mobile terminals. Particularly, the present invention relates to a security remote-control system and a security remote-control method using a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home security systems that lock and unlock the doors of houses by the use of mobile terminals are known. For example, in a method of locking and unlocking a door disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-292688A, the user of a cell phone locks and unlocks the door by directly transmitting a locking/unlocking signal to an automatic lock over a public telephone line. For this purpose, the automatic lock is connected to a main telephone or the automatic lock is provided with a receiver for directly receiving radio waves from the cell phone. It is possible to lock and unlock the door by remote control, thus eliminating the need to carry a dedicated lock.
In a personal handyphone system (PHS) system for an apartment house disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-7934A, the apartment house is provided with an independent wireless network, an information exchange center for managing the wireless communication over the network, and an electric service controller for controlling the door of the apartment house. Tenants of the apartment house use PHS terminals having identification (ID) numbers to transmit the confirmation result of a locking state of the door and the request for locking and unlocking the door to the information exchange center. The information exchange center inquires the ID numbers to instruct the electric service controller to accommodate the request. In this manner, it is possible to achieve reliable locking control in the apartment house.
Home automation systems for using mobile terminals to remotely control home electronic products are also known. A cell phone disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-44271A, which receives radio waves from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite, is provided with GPS receiving means for acquiring its own current position and stores home positional information and target range information specified by a user. The cell phone calls a home telephone when the cell phone is outside the target range or enters the target range to automatically control home-automation equipment. Accordingly, for example, the user can turn on an air conditioner when he/she gets close to his/her house or turn off the air conditioner when he/she gets away from his/her house.
A cell phone disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-34080A is provided with positional-information acquiring means for using a GPS to acquire its own current positional information and storing means. Positional information on a specific location, distance information indicating a certain distance from the specific location, and a control signal for controlling electrical equipment provided in the specific location are registered in the storing means. The cell phone automatically transmits the control signal to the specific location when the cell phone is within a predetermined distance from the specific location based on the current positional information. Accordingly, a user can automatically and remotely turns on the electrical equipment before he/she comes back home.